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That was quick: Jacksonville strength coach resigns from Urban Meyer’s staff following criticism
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Chris Doyle won’t be a part of Urban Meyer’s Jacksonville Jaguars staff after all.
Meyer issued a statement Friday night announcing Doyle’s resignation:
“Chris Doyle came to us this evening to submit his resignation and we have accepted. Chris did not want to be a distraction to what we are building in Jacksonville. We are responsible for all aspects of our program and, in retrospect, should have given greater consideration to how his appointment may have affected all involved. We wish him the best as he moves forward in his career.”
General manager Trent Baalke’s name was added to the statement Saturday morning.
Meyer announced the hiring of Doyle on Thursday. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, a diversity group “comprised of scouts, coaches, and front office personnel in the NFL as well as other sports professionals committed to equal opportunity in the industry” according to its website, issued a statement Friday ripping the Jaguars, citing the accusations of racism and mistreatment during Doyle’s tenure at Iowa (1999-2020).
“At a time when the NFL has failed to solve its problem with racial hiring practices, it is simply unacceptable to welcome Chris Doyle into the ranks of NFL coaches. Doyle’s departure from the University of Iowa reflected a tenure riddled with poor judgment and mistreatment of Black players. His conduct should be as disqualifying for the NFL as it was for the University of Iowa.
“Urban Meyer’s statement, `I’ve known Chris for close to 20 years,′ reflects the good ol’ boy network that is precisely the reason there is such a disparity in employment opportunities for Black coaches.”
Doyle was placed on administrative leave at Iowa on June 6, 2020. The school announced a “separation agreement” on June 15, 2020.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
